Syrian refugees a win-win in north Queensland: Ian Macdonald

A QUEENSLAND Senator has suggested north Queensland be used to settle Australia's increased Syrian refugee intake.

Speaking to an estimates hearing in Canberra, Ian Macdonald raised northern Australia as the perfect location to resettle accepted refugees, to help regions with "dwindling populations".

The federal government, under Tony Abbott, announced it would accept 12,000 extra asylum seekers affected by the Syrian conflict, with priority placed on those in camps in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon.

Mr Macdonald said resettling those families in the north could be a win-win.

"There are a large number of smaller regional communities throughout Queensland, and northern Australia for that matter, who have a major issue with a reduction in population growth," he said in a statement.